The Santa Fe, New Mexico, Police Department is pivoting away from its initiative to put officers in hybrid vehicles due to high costs and supply chain issues.

Responding to Lowered Availability and Raised Prices

According to paperwork filed with the Santa Fe Governing Body, the department is in the process of transitioning all patrol and administrative vehicles to a hybrid vehicle fleet as vehicles are due for replacement. 

This is an effort to maximize fuel savings, lower the impact of emissions, and to maintain an 'operational fleet with emergency response capability that is suitable' to stand up to police work.

During the 2022 fiscal year, the department received approval to purchase a significant number of hybrid vehicles, but the order was delayed due to supply chain issues surrounding hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturing. 

The cost per vehicle also increased significantly when the order was pushed to the following year, according to paperwork from the department.

Shifting to Fuel-Efficient ICE Vehicles

This led to a shift away from hybrid vehicles to Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles with the EcoBoost engine, which the agency called 'the next best option'. 

Because the supply chain challenges remain today, the agency says it will continue to opt for EcoBoost vehicles.

The Ford EcoBoost engine combines turbocharging, direct fuel injection, and twin independent variable camshaft timing to make for a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

The agency received approval from the Governing Body to purchase eight Ford PIUs with EcoBoost, as well as 16 Ford Maverick pickup trucks with EcoBoost. The agency chose the Maverick due to the rising cost of the F-150.

The PIUs will be used for patrol. Twelve Mavericks will be used as public safety aide trucks and four will be used as crime scene unit vehicles.

Demand for Hybrids Increases

Automakers are adjusting to an increase in demand for alternative fuel vehicles from government agencies.

Ford no longer offers its Explorer with a hybrid engine. A Ford spokesperson previously told Government Fleet that to meet the demand for the Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid and other Ford hybrid vehicles, the other Explorer models will only be offered with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost and 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6.

According to the spokesperson, those two engines account for the majority of Explorer sales.